Crashes in the News - Thread

[tralika]

Four injured in crash of C185 on Skis while attempting land on frozen lake near Anchorage AK. News report indicates the plane struck power lines causing power outage in neighborhood but does not say if that was the cause of the crash. NTSB does not send investigators to scene over COVID19 concerns.

Eagle River plane crash investigation delayed due to COVID-19

According to the Matanuska Electric Association's Facebook page, the crash happened around 8:30 p.m. in the Fire Lake area.

www.ktva.com

 

[Speedboat100]

deleted

 

[Marc W]

We lost an EAA member yesterday to a plane crash at Delta, CO. The pilot, Graham Meyer, was making a test flight on a Rans S-12 owned by another member. Graham was a retired engineer and a most valued tech counselor for our chapter. He had built and flew a Wittman Tailwind. No word yet on what caused the crash. Word is he landed short of the runway. The airport sits on a mesa and if you land short you will probably hit the bluff or at least land in rough terrain.

Pilot Killed In Small Plane Crash At Delta Airport

 

[bmcj]

Sorry to hear that Marc. Just a baseless conjecture here, but mountainous approaches to a plateau into the wind can encounter a bit of a downdraft at the edge of the bluff. This can be especially troublesome to something light and slow like the S-12.

 

[bmcj]

We had a neighbor and friend go down in his Cessna Super Skyhawks two day’s ago (Saturday). He is fine, but the Skyhawk was totaled.

After takeoff into a strong wind, his engine began to surge and as he was climbing through about 400 feet. He started his turn around but then experienced a nearly full power loss. He was able to angle back in to the runway but despite flaps and an aggressive slip, the strong tailwind (20-30 knots) pushed his touchdown point way down the runway with a high ground speed. He then raised the flaps (those slow electric ones) and applied full brakes (wore a flat spot in his brand new tires), but still overran the end of the runway, went through the fence and (halfway) across the 6-lane thouroghfare where the median took out his nose gear and flipped him on his back.

He extracted himself with nothing more than a couple of minor skin abrasions (shin and forehead). I suspect the Injuries to the insurance company will be worse than that. On the plus side, he is not without a plane... he just finished his 40 hour fly-off on his new RV-7.

 

[Pops]

We had a neighbor and friend go down in his Cessna Super Skyhawks two day’s ago (Saturday). He is fine, but the Skyhawk was totaled.

After takeoff into a strong wind, his engine began to surge and as he was climbing through about 400 feet. He started his turn around but then experienced a nearly full power loss. He was able to angle back in to the runway but despite flaps and an aggressive slip, the strong tailwind (20-30 knots) pushed his touchdown point way down the runway with a high ground speed. He then raised the flaps (those slow electric ones) and applied full brakes (wore a flat spot in his brand new tires), but still overran the end of the runway, went through the fence and (halfway) across the 6-lane thouroghfare where the median took out his nose gear and flipped him on his back.

He extracted himself with nothing more than a couple of minor skin abrasions (shin and forehead). I suspect the Injuries to the insurance company will be worse than that. On the plus side, he is not without a plane... he just finished his 40 hour fly-off on his new RV-7.

Glad he's OK. I hate those electric flaps. They are either to slow or to fast. Also didn't like it when the C-172 went to the 30 deg flaps instead of the 40 degs.
Everyone doesn't fly in flat country with long runways. If you have the 40 deg, don't have to use them if you don't need them.

 

[radfordc]

Usually better to land too fast and too far down the runway and run off the far end than to land short of the runway.

 

[Vigilant1]

Also didn't like it when the C-172 went to the 30 deg flaps instead of the 40 degs.
Everyone doesn't fly in flat country with long runways. If you have the 40 deg, don't have to use them if you don't need them.

I've heard a lot of folks say the same thing about the 40 degree flaps on the C-150--folks miss them on the C-152. I
I've also heard people say that the C-150 won't climb at MTOW with 40 degrees deployed even at standard day conditions, which means a reconfiguration is needed to do a go-around. Maybe that was seen as an undesirable characteristic in a trainer. As you say, I'd rather have the larger deflection available.

 

[Marc W]

Sorry to hear that Marc. Just a baseless conjecture here, but mountainous approaches to a plateau into the wind can encounter a bit of a downdraft at the edge of the bluff. This can be especially troublesome to something light and slow like the S-12.

That was my first thought since Graham is used to flying the Tailwind. There wasn't a lot of wind but it doesn't take much to set up a downdraft off the edge of the mesa. I usually go to idle abeam the threshold and I need to keep it high and tight to make the runway when the downdraft is there.

Graham had been working on the airplane for about a year. It had flown but it had a lot of problems. He had completely rewired it and done other work on it so some kind of mechanical failure is possible. And of course Graham was an older man so some health issue is possible. Time will tell.

It is a real loss. Graham was very generous with his knowledge and time. He also had a well equipped shop which was available to members. He will be deeply missed.

 

[Pops]

On my instrument check ride I had to shoot an ILS down to decision height and then do all of the missed approach procedure in a C-172 with the flaps set at 40 Degrees at the start of the miss. Not easy. Examiner said he wanted me to know what it would be like with a load of ice.

 

[BJC]

I've heard a lot of folks say the same thing about the 40 degree flaps on the C-150--folks miss them on the C-152. I
I've also heard people say that the C-150 won't climb at MTOW with 40 degrees deployed even at standard day conditions, which means a reconfiguration is needed to do a go-around. Maybe that was seen as an undesirable characteristic in a trainer. As you say, I'd rather have the larger deflection available.

A 152 can descend as quickly as a typical flaps 40 descent in a 150. It has to be really slow, and it needs to be accelerated to gain speed for flaring, otherwise something will get broken. Good rudder control is essential. Timing is important, too.

BJC

 

[Marc W]

I heard some details on the Rans S-12 crash. This airplane was originally built with a Rotax two stroke. The previous owner converted it to a 100 HP Rotax 912. The airplane had W&B problems with the 4 stroke engine. It needed 75 lbs. of ballast in the nose to be flown solo.

The pilot did taxi testing on Saturday. The airplane would not rotate. He reportedly had it up to 60 MPH and couldn't get the nosewheel off the ground. I was told he adjusted the wing and tail incidence Saturday evening. I question whether he adjusted the wing incidence, but whatever he did, he did adjust the tail. He took it out to do more taxi testing Sunday. I was told he didn't intend to fly. Apparently the airplane jumped off the ground anyway. He wasn't able to climb. When he opened the throttle, the high thrust line pushed the nose down. He porpoised around the airport twice trying to adjust the throttle to maintain flight. The second time around he flew into the bank short of the runway. The impact crushed the cockpit and he died within minutes. Clearly something was very wrong with the engine change.

I have made my share of bad decisions but one good decision I made was to not go into a partnership on this airplane. The owner and I discussed forming a partnership to purchase this airplane. I am not familiar with this type of airplane and ultimately decided not to get involved with it.

 

[Speedboat100]

I heard some details on the Rans S-12 crash. This airplane was originally built with a Rotax two stroke. The previous owner converted it to a 100 HP Rotax 912. The airplane had W&B problems with the 4 stroke engine. It needed 75 lbs. of ballast in the nose to be flown solo.

The pilot did taxi testing on Saturday. The airplane would not rotate. He reportedly had it up to 60 MPH and couldn't get the nosewheel off the ground. I was told he adjusted the wing and tail incidence Saturday evening. I question whether he adjusted the wing incidence, but whatever he did, he did adjust the tail. He took it out to do more taxi testing Sunday. I was told he didn't intend to fly. Apparently the airplane jumped off the ground anyway. He wasn't able to climb. When he opened the throttle, the high thrust line pushed the nose down. He porpoised around the airport twice trying to adjust the throttle to maintain flight. The second time around he flew into the bank short of the runway. The impact crushed the cockpit and he died within minutes. Clearly something was very wrong with the engine change.

I have made my share of bad decisions but one good decision I made was to not go into a partnership on this airplane. The owner and I discussed forming a partnership to purchase this airplane. I am not familiar with this type of airplane and ultimately decided not to get involved with it.

**** happens.....and usually the worst possible scenario....which is plausible.

 

[Riggerrob]

About that Royal Canadian Air Force CH-148 Cyclone helicopter that crashed off the coast of Greece .... the first few news accounts contain a few errors, plus the usual patriotic boiler plate.
We will have to wait another week or two before hearing an accurate initial report.

But what do I know?
Master Corporal (retired) Rob Warner, CD, BA, served on the flight decks of HMCS Athabaskan and HMCS Iroquois

 

[tralika]

A Southwest Air B737 landing at Austin TX struck and killed a person on the runway. ATC conversation can be heard at this link.

 

[jedi]

Reposting the following: from Sun, May 10, 2020 at 2:47 PM

(Someone other than Terry) : All,
I just wanted you to know that a fatal tow plane accident at the Byron CA
airport about 15 minutes ago as of this writing. My brother’s plane is a
hangared there and he was working on his RV-10 when he and a friend heard
the crash and went running towards the runway to see what happened. The tow
plane had a glider under tow at the time of the accident and the glider
released safely. The tow pilot was the only fatality. According to my
brother there is nothing left of the tow plane.
Another sad day in the aviation world.
Randy

 

[Hephaestus]

Snowbird go boom in Kamloops.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/plane-crash-kamloops-1.5573930

Pilot ejected very low level very vertical. Pics of him on a rooftop injured but alive. Plane hit house, elderly residents escaped ok.

 

[Voidhawk9]

Accident video here:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1262101139966750720

 

[Hephaestus]

CF Snowbirds team member killed in crash in Kamloops, B.C.

"It is with heavy hearts that we announce that one member of the CF Snowbirds team has died and one has sustained serious injuries," the Royal Canadian Air Force said.

globalnews.ca

Reports of one dead. Found inside wreckage.

 

[bmcj]

CF Snowbirds team member killed in crash in Kamloops, B.C.

"It is with heavy hearts that we announce that one member of the CF Snowbirds team has died and one has sustained serious injuries," the Royal Canadian Air Force said.

globalnews.ca

Reports of one dead. Found inside wreckage.

That doesn’t sound correct, there was clearly an ejection in the video. Perhaps two onboard? I know they do fly dual sometimes, a friend of mine used to be their team photographer and got lots of air to air shots while riding in one of their demo planes.